Today is Back to the Future Day! 21 October 2015 marks the day Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel into the future. But which of the film's futuristic gadgets made the cut in 2015? We take a look...

Today, 21 October 2015, is Back to the Future Day. The day that Doc Brown and his protégé, Marty McFly travelled into the depths of the future.

Way back in 1989, we were amazed by the futuristic gadgets – hoverboards and self-tying shoelaces ring any bells? But out of all the space-age inventions Back to the Future introduced us to, which have made their way into the real world?

Here's a list of brilliant Back to the Future gadgets we've been graced with and some that still may hit the shelves in future years.

Smart Homes

3D Billboards

Ok, so we don't have giant 3D sharks popping out of billboards at Piccadilly Circus, but we do have 3D films. At the moment we have to wear glasses, but Austrian researchers have developed a laser system that sends different images to each eye – eradicating the need to wear 3D glasses at all. New York's Time Square will be the first to experience the first ever 3D ads.

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Fingerprint Scanner

We're used to fingerprint scanners on our phones, but in Back to the Future you could unlock your house and pay for items with the touch of a finger – perhaps this could mean an update on contactless payments soon?

Video Calls

Remember that classic scene where Needles fires an older Marty McFly via video call? Facetime and Skype is commonplace to many of us now and with the invention of Smart TVs, we'll be able to practically replicate this exact scene – if you have a fax machine!

Drones

Drones are slowly making their way into the limelight, but we certainly haven't seen any robot pet walkers as yet. Japanese scientists however have created a robot humanoid that can interact with people, serve drinks and even srve customers in banks. Freaky stuff!

What's yet to come…

Hoverboards

Everyone remembers that iconic scene where Marty jumps onto a floating hoverboard following a tense run-in with an angry Biff. Good news: some scientists claim they have built fully functioning hoverboards that will be available to the public soon. The wait may well and truly be over.

Self-Tying Shoelaces

We imagine self-tying shoelaces were on every child's Christmas wish list in 1989. Nike released a limited range of McFly's Nike MAGs high tops with automatic-tying laces back in 2011, but there were only 1,500 models made. Rumour has it that they would release more in 2015. We're still waiting.

Flying Cars

Wasn't the DeLorean the best invention ever? A time travelling vessel is unlikely to become a reality any time soon, but surely flying cars must be a thing by now? Sadly wheels are set to remain firmly on the roads in 2015, but according to reports, a Massachusetts-based aviation company Terrafugia have developed a prototype vehicle which doubles up as both a plane and a car. They're expected to cost around £183,000 – a little out of our price range but exciting nevertheless!

Mr Fusion

In Back to the Future II's version of 2015, Marty and Doc use a handy Mr Fusion Home Energy Reactor that mixes up rubbish to create an affordable and clean nuclear energy source. Sadly scientists have been unable to recreate this type of renewable energy and there's nothing to suggest this is likely to change in the near future.

Rejuvenation Clinics

Remember an incredulous Marty McFly bemused by Doc's youthful future appearance? Doc Brown's response: "I went to a rejuvenation clinic and got an all-natural overhaul. They took out some wrinkles, did a hair repair, changed the blood, added a good 30 to 40 years to my life. They also replaced my spleen and colon – what do you think?". Whilst we do have Botox clinics, regrettably these age-defying 'super-clinics' have remained firmly in the fictional future.

Self-Drying Jackets

Trying to wrestle with an umbrella in the pouring rain is often a thankless task. You'll most likely end up soaked to the bone with a disheveled new 'do. But in Back to the Future II, you could dry off a waterlogged outfit with the touch of a button and within a flash, you'd be dry as a bone.

Petrol Station Robots

Food Hydrators

Didn't you just love that moment where Marty's mum Lorraine pops the tiniest pizza in the world into their trusted Black and Decker food hydrator, which then transformed miraculously into a huge family-sized cheese-laden pizza? Sadly these aren't a staple in our kitchens quite yet.

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